In 1987, Congress directed each of the regional educational laboratories to develop a "rural initiative." Beginning in 1991, the U.S. Department of Education directed that the laboratories devote 25% of their effort to helping rural schools by fostering innovative rural education programs that promise to improve instruction, and by building the capacity of state and local educators to respond to the changing needs of rural students and communities. This report, with brief summaries of each Laboratory's activities, focuses on rural-school improvement activities supported by the laboratories. These activities are aimed at making rural educators more visible to each other and to policymakers; fostering collaboration among educators, state agencies, and businesses; using research and development information; encouraging community involvement and linking education to local economic development; expanding and improving inservice teacher education and staff development; extending the curriculum; increasing school and library resources through networking; expanding student support and parent involvement; and providing training in distance education and other technologies. This report contains a project index and a bibliography of 84 publications on rural education available from the regional laboratories or the ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools. (SV)